Fuchsia plant named ‘VOLFUC 6054’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Fuchsia  plant named ‘VOLFUC 6054’, characterized by its relatively compact, mounding to trailing plant habit; freely branching habit, dense and bushy plant form; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; and light red purple and violet blue-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Fuchsia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘VOLFUC 6054’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Fuchsia plant botanically known as Fuchsia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘VOLFUC 6054’.

The new Fuchsia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Muenster, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely branching Fuchsia plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Fuchsia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2009 in Muenster, Germany of two unidentified proprietary selections of Fuchsia×hybrida, not patented. The new Fuchsia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Muenster, Germany in 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Fuchsia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Muenster, Germany since 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Fuchsia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Fuchsia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘VOLFUC 6054’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘VOLFUC 6054’ as a new and distinct Fuchsia plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, mounding to trailing plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit, dense and bushy plant form.     -   3. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Light red purple and violet blue-colored flowers.

The new Fuchsia plant can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Fuchsia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Fuchsia are more mounding than and not as         trailing as plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Fuchsia are more freely flowering than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Fuchsia and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have pink and white-colored flowers.

The new Fuchsia plant can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Fuchsia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Fuchsia are more mounding than and not as         upright as plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Fuchsia are more freely flowering than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Fuchsia and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have blue and white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Fuchsia can be compared to plants of Fuchsia ‘Kiefuzak’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,764. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Muenster, Germany, plants of the new Fuchsia and ‘Kiefuzak’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Fuchsia were slightly taller than plants of         ‘Kiefuzak’.     -   2. Plants of the new Fuchsia were not as pendulous as plants of         ‘Kiefuzak’.     -   3. Plants of the new Fuchsia were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Kiefuzak’.     -   4. Plants of the new Fuchsia had smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Kiefuzak’.     -   5. Plants of the new Fuchsia and ‘Kiefuzak’ differed in flower         color as plants of ‘Kiefuzak’ had light red and purple-colored         flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Fuchsia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Fuchsia.

The photograph on the first sheet is a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘VOLFUC 6054’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘VOLFUC 6054’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring in 12-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Muenster, Germany and under cultural practices typically used in commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 20° C., night temperatures ranged from 15° to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 5,000 to 40,000 lux. Plants were pinched one time and were six months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2005 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Fuchsia×hybrida ‘VOLFUC 6054’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection             of Fuchsia×hybrida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection             of Fuchsia×hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one to two weeks at             temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two to three weeks at             temperatures ranging from 15° C. to 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About three weeks at             temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About 30 days at             temperatures ranging from 15° C. to 23° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Relatively compact, upright and             mounding to trailing growth habit; freely branching habit             with about ten to twelve primary lateral branches each with             multiple secondary and tertiary lateral branches developing             per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development;             dense and bushy plant form; moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 25 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 10 cm to 15 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3.5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1 cm to 2 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright then outwardly arching to             trailing.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Close to 59A to 59B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4 cm to 5 cm.         -   Width.—About 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate, elongate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Serrate to dentate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves and fully expanded, upper surface:             Close to 137A; venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,             close to 137C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Diameter: About             1.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single axillary flowers;             flowers radially symmetrical; flowers initially upright and             then pendulous; freely flowering habit, typically one to two             flowers develop per leaf axil; at one time, about 140 to 160             flowers per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; flowering             recurrent from mid-April through October in Northern Europe.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about four to five days on             the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 cm to 6 cm.         -   Flower height (depth).—About 4.5 cm to 5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm to 20 mm. Diameter: About 3             mm to 13 mm. Shape: Oblong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Initially, close to 145C becoming closer to 53C with             development.         -   Corolla.—Quantity of petals and arrangement: Typically             twelve petals arranged in about two or three whorls; petals             imbricate. Petal length: About 1.2 cm to 1.5 cm. Petal             width: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Petal shape: Cordate. Petal             apex: Obtuse. Petal base: Attenuate. Petal margin: Entire.             Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             velvety. Petal color: When opening and fully opened, inner             surface: Close to 94B; color becoming closer to 81B with             development. When opening and fully opened, outer surface:             Close to 94B; color becoming closer to 81B with development.         -   Calyx.—Quantity of sepals and arrangement: Typically four             sepals arranged in a single whorl and fused at the base;             calyx star-shaped. Sepal length: About 2.5 cm to 3 cm. Sepal             width: About 1 cm to 1.3 cm. Sepal shape: Elongate oblong;             flat to reflexed. Sepal apex: Acuminate. Sepal margin:             Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; velvety. Sepal color: When opening and fully             opened, inner surface: Close to 57C; color does not fade             with development. When opening and fully opened, outer             surface: Close to 57C; color does not fade with development.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1 cm to 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Aspect: Arching to horizontal. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 165A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Nine per flower.             Anther size: About 1.5 mm by 2 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther color: Close to 58A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen             color: Close to 8C. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Style             length: About 1.5 cm to 3 cm. Style color: Close to 54D.             Stigma shape: Ovate, elongated. Stigma color: Close to 18C.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 163B. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Fuchsia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 4° C. to about 33° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Fuchsia have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Fuchsia     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Fuchsia plant named ‘VOLFUC 6054’ as illustrated and described. 